faqs

 

Can Anyone study in the UGA IEP?
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Language proficiency: We take students from the high-intermediate level to the advanced level. If you are not sure about your level, you can email iep@uga.edu and ask to take our online placement test. We do not take beginners. Age: You must be 18 years old to study in the IEP. We are unable to accept students younger than 18 because UGA does not allow it. No one is too old to study in this program! Visa type: Full-time students should have an F-1 or J-1 visa. Part time students should have an F-2, J-1, or J-2 visa. Some other visa holders are also eligible to study. You are not elligible to study on a B-1 or B-2 Visa. You should contact the director for more information.
Is it difficult to get a visa to study in the IEP?
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Most students who apply to study in the IEP are able to obtain a visa. A few people have had their visa applications denied (less than 1% of people who apply).
Do you provide I-20s?
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Yes, if you are applying for an F-1 visa, we can provide an I-20. We can also provide DS-2019s for sponsored students who need to study on a J-1 visa.
How long does it take to get my I-20?
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After you submit all of the required documents online, it takes about 1 week to process your I-20 and 1 week to express mail it to you (about 2 weeks after you have submitted all your documents).
If I study in the IEP can I be admitted to an undergraduate program at UGA?
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Studying in the IEP does not guarantee admission to UGA undergraduate programs, but we do have an agreement with Undergraduate Admissions so that students who complete level 6 of the IEP can waive (do not need to provide) the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. However, new students (who have not studied in college before) must also provide competitive SAT scores. If you have completed 30 credit hours in another college, you can apply to come to UGA as a transfer student and you do not need the SAT.
If I study in the IEP can I be admitted to a graduate program at UGA?
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Many departments allow students who have completed level 6 of the IEP to waive the language proficiency requirement when applying to gradate programs. This is in line with a state policy that states students can demonstrate their language proficiency by passing an approved English program like the UGA IEP. Many students who have already been admitted to graduate programs at UGA choose to study in the IEP first to improve their English.

Many of our students have successfully entered graduate programs at UGA and other universities after completing our language program. In fact, over 100 students have transferred to graduate programs after completing our program in the last two years alone!
Can I study part-time?
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If you have an F-1 visa, you must study full-time. If you have an F-2 visa, you must study part-time. J-1 and J-2 visa holders can study full- or part-time. Part-time students study between 4 and 16 hours a week.
Can I work while I am studying?
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Yes, F-1 (and J-1) visa holders can work on the UGA campus for up to 19 hours a week. They cannot work outside of the UGA Campus.
Are there any fun activities to do?
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We arrange some trips and activities for our students—we usually have one trip every month. We ask students to pay for the cost of admission and part of the transportation cost. We have gone to Six Flags Over Georgia, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Coca Cola Museum. We have gone kayaking, attended basketball games and baseball games and had picnics at the lake as well as several potluck dinners. UGA has many activities that students can take part in (usually at reduced cost admission). UGA is a very big university (35,000 students) so there are usually many different things to do every night including football games, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, concerts, plays, and many other fun activities. The IEP has a conversation table that meets at a local coffee shop or restaurant every week. We also have a conversation partner program to help our students meet American students.
How long can I study in the IEP?
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The shortest time you can study is 4 weeks in our summer program (one in June and one in July). Our fall and spring sessions are all 8 weeks long. It might be possible to attend a half session in fall or spring if you are not able to attend a full session. If you want to do that, you should email the director at kbraxley@uga.edu to discuss this with her. In summary, the time you can study in the IEP depends on your level when you begin, how quickly you progress from one level to the next level, and how long you want to study for. The time students spend in our program varies from 4 weeks to as long as 18 months. Many students can complete six levels (from high beginning to advanced) in 15 months.
How much does it cost to study in the UGA IEP?
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Please click on program costs to find this information. The cost of a full-time program including tuition, fees, and most textbooks is less than $2300 for 7.5 weeks based on 18 hours of instruction a week. Part-time tuition costs $400 per class for a class that meets 4 hours each week (for a total of 32 hours of instruction). There is also an $80 registration fee. The registration fee is paid once each session. If you are the husband or wife of a UGA student and are paying your own tuition, you get a 25% discount on tuition and fees.
Are any scholarships or financial aid available to study in the IEP?
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No, sorry we do not have scholarships or financial aid.
Can I bring my family here?
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Your husband or wife and your children can come here as your dependents (usually with F-2 visas)
Can I live in campus housing?
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No, we do not currently have housing on campus, but students can usually find furnished housing available close to the UGA campus.
Can you help me to find housing?
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Yes, we can advise you about housing options, but we do not guarantee that we can find housing for you. However, there is a lot of housing available in Athens and Athens is not an expensive place to live, so most students are able to find a good place to live.
What is the class schedule like?
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Full-time students will study for 18 hours each week. Most classes meet four days a week for 50 minutes each day. Some elective classes meet two times a week for 50 minutes. Most of our classes are scheduled between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., but some classes may finish at 5:00 P.M. Most classes meet Tuesday through Friday mornings. There are no classes on Friday afternoons.
What are elective classes?
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All full-time students must take four core classes: reading, writing, listening/speaking, and grammar. In addition to the core classes, full-time students must take one or two elective classes. Examples of elective classes are TOEFL prep, GRE prep, Debating, Speak English Like an American, etc. The elective classes are called elective classes because they are classes that you choose. However, you must go to all of your classes, including elective classes, every day. We take attendance at every class, so it is important for you to attend every class.
What level will I study?
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You will do a placement test on the before classes start. We test your reading, writing, and listening speaking skills to determine your level.
How do I move from one level to the next level?
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You must pass the classes in one level before moving to the next level. You will receive a grade for every class you take, and all of your class grades will be averaged together to give you a Grade Point Average ( GPA). Also, at the end of each session, you will have to take Level Exit Exams in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar. Moving from one level to the next level depends on meeting two criteria: 1) Passing your classes with a C average (A GPA of 2.0) AND 2) passing the Level Exit Exams. If you are a part-time student, you must pass a class in one level before taking the same class in the next level.
Can I skip a level?
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No. We do not allow students to skip levels. Only if we determine that a student was misplaced will we allow a student to skip a level. This can only be done in exceptional circumstances and requires unanimous support from all of the student’s instructors and the program director.
What is your attendance policy?
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We expect you to attend every class! There are no excused absences, even if you are sick. The U.S. government requires IEP students to attend more than 80% of their classes. If you miss more than 20% of your classes, your SEVIS record (I-20) will be terminated. We know that sometimes you may be ill or you might have to take care of something important, like taking a TOEFL test, and that is why you are allowed to miss up to 20% of your classes. However, we expect you to be in class every day. Many sponsors, like the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission, expect you to attend at least 90% of your classes, and we must notify them immediately if a student’s attendance record drops below 90%.